All Along
by CuriousLittleBird
Summary: Sequel to “Not Right Now.” Tea has waited all through the Battle City Tournament for Yami Yugi, now knowing that he needs his time to discover himself. When Tea has a chance to speak to him again, will Tristan’s words of hope ring true or false?
1. Default Chapter

Author's Note: This storyline is very, very close to my heart, as the first story was and is. I believe the songs "Broken" by Seether featuring Amy Lee and "True" by Ryan Cabrera would match beautifully with the plotline of this story. This fanfiction also harmonizes with my 40th piano/voice composition, called "Last Night." The verses of the song will be placed in the second chapter (this is only a one-chapter work, however).

Tea woke from her light sleep as the dawn's light probed into her room, playfully creeping across the covers, stroking her face with warmth. Groggily, she raised herself to a sitting position and tried to get up the desire to even get out of bed, but it was a cold morning and the room was a bit chilly. The bedcovers, by contrast, felt so snuggly and warm…like his voice…

"Yami…" she said, through a quiet sigh. It had been two days since the Battle City Tournament had officially ended. She had rejoiced with Yami as he attained the first-place position, and had stood with him as he received the Millennium Rod from Marik, who had turned out to be a better person than she thought. But still, there was no indication that the pharaoh's heart had turned its affections toward her.

She got up slowly from the bed and wandered into the bathroom, turning on the tap and splashing her face with the cold water in a futile effort to clear her eyes of the sleep that nagged at their corners. As she raised her eyes to her reflection in the mirror over the sink, she could tell that there were still faint, fresh tear streaks under her eyes. Dried tears from the night before were also present, forming translucent crystals at the inner corners of her eyes.

"I must have had a dream about him last night," she said quietly to herself. It didn't surprise her—Yami's face had haunted her dreams for a long time, and his fateful words, spoken that awful day, had tainted her life ever since. Nothing could truly make her forget what he had said to her…nothing could truly make her feel happiness. Even dancing did not take away the pain anymore, as it had in the past. Tea had been carrying her burden mostly in silence, not speaking much to Yami since that day before the Battle City Tournament had even started. Only Tristan knew how much her heart ached.

She went about the rest of her daily routine numbly, as she had done for all the mornings that she rose and stood beside the dueling field, watching the man she loved fight valiantly and win, as she always knew he would. Her short brown hair fell into its normal place under the gentle pull of her hairbrush, and her feet slipped delicately into her sneakers as she pulled on her coat. It was time to get breakfast again.

As Tea walked down the sidewalk towards the little donut shop on the corner, the puttering sound of a motorcycle pulling up beside her caught her attention. Smiling, she turned and looked toward the rider, who stopped at the curb and took off his black helmet.

"Hi there, Tristan," she said. He nodded to her as he got off the motorcycle and joined her on the sidewalk.

"What's up this morning?" he asked her cheerfully.

"Oh, not much," she said, shrugging. "I was just going to the donut shop to get something for breakfast."

"Cool," he replied. "Mind if I join you?"

"That'd be fine," she said with a grin. "Breakfast does tend to get kind of lonely sometimes."

"I understand," he said, and they walked on together.

:At the shop:

Tristan sat down with his Coke and set of two jelly donuts. "Breakfast of champions," he joked, gesturing to his choices. Tea giggled softly, munching on her glazed donut. She took a sip of her latte and smiled.

"I'm glad you came to eat with me this morning, Tristan," she said, smiling at him. "It means a lot."

"Sure thing, Tea." He smiled slightly, then looked at her, appraising her facial expression. Seeming to know that something was wrong, he voiced his question. "Anything you wanna talk about?"

"Um…" Tea avoided his gaze. "I…I don't know."

"Hmm," Tristan said, looking thoughtful. "Could it be the ever-present Yami?" His voice tone was humorous, but as Tea's blue eyes brimmed with tears, he quickly backpedaled. "…I'm sorry…I didn't mean to…"

"It's okay," she said quietly, her voice slightly choked. "It's just been…kind of hard." A very sad, slight smile briefly appeared on her face as she tried to fight back the emotions. Even after the months of waiting, the pain was still very present in her heart. She looked upward, trying to suppress the tears, and sighed. "I shouldn't be going on and on about this…I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry," Tristan said kindly. "I kind of knew that something was bugging you. If I didn't want you to talk about it, I wouldn't have asked."

Tea sighed, her shoulders sagging. "It's…it's just that I waited through the tournament…and I still don't know. I mean…I thought that if I gave him enough time, maybe he would change his mind…"

"Well, there was always a possibility that he wouldn't," Tristan said, trying to phrase the idea gently, so as not to shake Tea's emotions too much. "But…I don't know. Something about him not changing his mind doesn't seem right. Have you talked to him?"

She shook her head. "No…not in a while." She stirred her latte with her straw and took another sip. "I—I just find it so hard to talk to him now. I never had a problem before."

Tristan laughed a little, mirthlessly. "I have the same problem sometimes…I just can't talk to the person I need to talk to the most." He leaned on the table slightly, closer to Tea. "How about you give it a shot? I heard some of the gang's meeting at the Game Shop later today. You might have a chance then."

She blinked. "You mean…he'll be there?"

"Well, it is Yugi's grandpa's shop, so I figure he should be there," Tristan said, nudging her a little playfully. "Why don't you come over then? I'll be there, and maybe between the two of us, we can get up your courage enough to talk to him."

Tea thought a minute, then smiled genuinely. "Thanks, Tristan. I think I will."

He finished the rest of his jelly donut and grinned, wiping a trace of the strawberry jelly and donut crumbs off his chin. "No problem."

:A little later…:

Tea rested on her bed in the laziness of the early afternoon, her mind turning over and over the issue of actually seeing and speaking to Yami after so long. Questions spun around and around in a dizzying pace: How would Yami react to her? Would he even know she existed anymore? What would he say? What would she say?

The worries quickly built up to a fever pitch in her mind, and the first hot tear trickled down her cheek as she turned over on her side. A childish sniffle escaped her, and she laughed at herself in spite of her tears.

"Aw…here I am, fussing and crying over something that might not even happen," she muttered to herself. "I'm…I'm just so scared still." She rolled onto her back, sighing. "Even though I believe that Yami will change his mind, and even though I've felt that my belief is right…I still get scared." She looked up at the ceiling, looking toward a presence that wasn't visible. "Am I wrong to believe in what I feel so strongly? Is this wrong…am I wrong, to base all my faith in a feeling?" Her voice abruptly stopped in her throat, and she took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. The urge to sleep started to nag at her, and she briefly wondered if she should.

"Well, maybe I should take a little nap," she thought, looking at the clock. It was only 2:00 in the afternoon, and the group wasn't meeting until 6:00. A little nap wouldn't hurt. Tea reached over to her alarm and set it for 5:00, then turned over onto her opposite side and closed her eyes.

"Tea? …Tea?"

The gentle, bell-like voice got Tea's attention, and she opened her eyes and looked around, but saw no one.

"Who's there?" she called quietly. The landscape around her looked barren, with nothing but the sun, tan sand and dusty rocks surrounding her. Suddenly, she sensed a presence behind her, and she whirled around, only to face a petite young woman.

"Oh!" Tea gasped, startled.

The young woman smiled. "I'm sorry to have frightened you, Tea...I was trying to get your attention." She smoothed her long, thick brown hair behind her ears, her bangs slightly brushing her eyebrows as she did so. Tea couldn't help but notice that the young woman was dressed in the clothes of another time—a long, off-white dress and simple brown sandals. It looked for all the world as if the girl had come straight out of a desert, which didn't seem so impossible, judging by the territory they were in.

"Who are you?" Tea asked.

"My name is Mana," the girl replied quietly. She placed a comforting hand on Tea's shoulder. "Do you know who I am?"

"You seem so familiar…" Tea trailed off, trying to recall a name. "It's so strange…I don't remember where I've met you."

Seeming to understand, Mana nodded. "I thought it might take some time for you to remember me." She took on a more serious look. "I've come to give you a message." She gestured out to her side, and the air beside her seemed to ripple and change into a miniature scene.

Tea gasped as the picture resolved into a beloved face. "Yami?" she said in surprise, looking into the scene.

Mana smiled. "Yes, that is the pharaoh, Tea. He is part of my message to you." Tea focused her eyes on the scene again, and watched as Yami paced back and forth in what appeared to be Yugi's bedroom. Yugi's ghostly image seemed to sit on his bed, looking worriedly at his darkness.

"Yami, what's bothering you?" Yugi asked.

"What?" The spirit seemed as if he were surprised out of a trance. "Oh…I'm sorry, Yugi. I…I was just deep in thought." Yami sighed, and stopped pacing, stroking his chin gently as if puzzled. "I am…troubled."

"Well, I can feel that," Yugi said, laughing a little. "But why?"

"Yugi..." Yami turned to his light, looking at him carefully. "How would one express a feeling of missing a person terribly?"

Yugi cocked his head slightly, thinking for a minute, then spoke. "Well…it depends on who the person is. If you're missing a friend, it feels different than if you miss someone you deeply love."

Yami paused to think a minute. "Hmm…" He fell silent for a few moments, then spoke again. "Well, what if…what if you feel an inexplicable connection to someone, that you can't forget, that…haunts you day and night?" A hitch became apparent in his voice as he spoke next. "What if…you've made a choice about this person, and have regretted it ever since, because your life is so…meaningless without her?" The words tumbled out, as if written by the heart and not the mind.

Recognition began to light in Yugi's violet eyes. "Yami…it sounds to me like you're describing being in love."

A brief surprise flitted over the pharaoh's face, replaced by a sudden acceptance. "So…it is true, then."

"I'd say so," Yugi said, appearing to stand and look up at the spirit carefully. A knowing smile crept over his face. "And I don't think I have to ask who you feel the connection with, either."

Yami looked down at his light in surprise. "You don't?"

"Trust me, Yami, I believe I know you well enough to know." Yugi grinned. "I'm just glad you finally understand your feelings." He looked away for a minute. "I know Tea has been suffering since you told her you couldn't love her. You've felt it too, I bet…the sadness that surrounds her?"

Yami cast his eyes down. "Yes…unfortunately." He sighed heavily. "I hated to tell her…but at the time, I was…I was unsure of my destiny."

"And now you know more about yourself," Yugi finished, "so you're more ready. You're able to love her."

The spirit smiled gratefully. "You are truly wiser than your years, Yugi. You have always been so sure…and I have been so uncertain."

"I am only sure because I'm part of you, Yami," Yugi said quietly, embracing his darkness. "I felt the emotions inside you. You just…needed time to figure yourself out."

The scene dissolved into air again, and Mana turned to look at Tea, whose eyes were now shining with sweet tears.

"Is…is this true?" Tea said, her voice hushed with the quiet joy that was spreading through her.

"Yes," Mana said, nodding gently. "This is my message to you, Tea…your journey is almost over. You have done well." She paused, and smiled with a beatific peace. "The pharaoh only needed time, and you gave it. You carried your suffering, and you have borne it well. Now all that is left…is to rejoice."

Tea stood there, in utter shock for a moment, as she realized what Mana's words meant. Yami loved her. Yugi loved her. Her beliefs…were right. The suffering and pain had all been worth it. Her eyes brimmed and spilled over, and she collapsed into Mana's waiting arms, sobbing quietly with joy.

"You knew all along, Tea…" Mana said, patting Tea's back gently. "Believe in yourself, and good things will always come." She released Tea, who was still wiping away tears, and stood back, smiling as she began to glow with a soft white light.

"What's going on?" Tea asked. "Why are you…glowing?"

"I must leave you now," Mana said patiently, "but remember my message. Your journey is almost over…your journey is almost over…"

The alarm clock's insistent beeps roused Tea from her nap, as Mana's words echoed softly in her mind. "My journey is almost over?" she repeated quietly to herself. The phrase did give her some peace, but there was still a second heartbeat in her chest, one that beat with the faint pulse of uncertainty. She got up and started to get ready to go over to the game shop, her brain abuzz with excitement and nervousness. Her mind was again filled with questions: What was that strange dream about? Who was that girl, who looked so familiar?

As she picked up her purse off the nightstand, a few Duel Monster cards scattered to the floor. Tea exhaled sharply in exasperation, and bent to pick them up, trying not to waste too much time, but a familiar face amid the pile caught her eye.

"Mana?" she asked, instinctively. There was the girl she had seen in her dream! She picked up the card and looked at it—it was a Dark Magician Girl card, like the one which Yugi had given her in the odd dream she had while she was dueling Crump in the virtual realm.

"But…why would I have this card in real life?" Tea asked herself, puzzled. The card's image shone faintly in the fading afternoon light, and she could have sworn that the magician's eyes twinkled merrily.

:At the Game Shop:

"Hmm…I wonder where Tea is?" Tristan asked himself quietly, looking out through the Game Shop's windows.

Yugi came down the steps from the second floor, carrying a box of cards. "What's wrong, Tristan?" he asked, noting his friend's worried look as he set down the box on a nearby cabinet.

"Aw…well, I told Tea that we were all meeting here later today," Tristan explained, "but it's almost 6:00, and she's not here."

"Maybe she just got held up," Yugi said, coming over and standing beside Tristan. Then he lit up. "There she is!"

In the direct glow of the setting sun, there appeared a slight silhouette, drawing closer to the game shop. Yugi went out the door and greeted Tea with a hug, walking with her into the shop.

"Wow…I didn't expect such a welcome!" Tea joked, smiling as she walked in.

"I've missed you a lot," Yugi said earnestly. He turned toward his box of cards briefly, and then looked over his shoulder. "Did you bring any of your Duel Monster cards?"

Tea thought for a minute, then dug through her purse. "Oh…I knew I forgot something," she said quietly, not finding anything.

"That's OK, Tea," Yugi said, coming over to her. "We've got lots of cards here to look at." He went back upstairs, presumably to fetch another box of cards, and Tea leaned back against one of the display cases, sighing quietly and looking toward the stairs after Yugi.

"It's hard talking to him again, isn't it?" Tristan said understandingly.

"Well, he's not the one whose feelings I worry about," Tea replied. Her foot tapped anxiously on the floor, and a silence hung between the two of them until Yugi came back down.

"Hey, Yuge, what kinds of Warrior cards have you got there?" Tristan asked, noting a Cyber Commander which rode on the top of the pile in the box. However, when Yugi turned to look at Tristan, there was an obvious difference. Tristan laughed.

"Oh, hey, Yami!" he said jauntily. "Sorry about that—just a case of mistaken identity," he joked, nudging Yami in the side. Yami did manage a little laugh, but his glance fell on Tea, and he became solemn again. His crimson eyes quickly darted away, glistening with what Tristan thought were sudden tears. Going back to his business, he cleared his throat and started to sort through the cards, laying them out by element and type, and Tristan walked quietly over to Tea.

"You see what I saw?" he whispered quietly. Tea nodded, her face bearing a look of quiet shock.

"Now, why the hell would he look at you and tear up like that?" Tristan whispered, softer this time. "I think he's got some feelings he doesn't know how to deal with." He smiled at Tea, but her eyes clouded with worry.

"I just hope it's not…the wrong kind of feelings," she said softly. Tristan nodded.

"Me too."

Yami had apparently grown tired of sorting his cards, and the clink of the bell on the side door jostled both Tristan and Tea out of their quiet conference.

"What the…" Tristan turned to look as the side door slowly swung shut. He gestured to it and furrowed his brow. "What's his problem?"

Tea took a deep breath. "I'll talk to him," she said, quietly but resolutely.

"You gonna be all right?" Tristan asked. Tea nodded in response. "Well…I'll be here if you need a confidence boost," he said, smiling. Tea smiled back, albeit nervously, and walked out the side door after Yami. As she disappeared outside, Tristan looked up to the ceiling.

"I don't know if anybody's hearing me up there," he whispered, "but don't let her get hurt. They're too good together—she doesn't deserve to be hurt." He sighed. "Just please…let it work."

Tea slowly approached Yami, who was facing away from her, apparently talking to Yugi—his resonant voice whispered quietly in the alley. She didn't want to spook him, but how was she going to get his attention otherwise?

"Yami?" she asked, quietly. Yami jumped as if startled, then slowly turned around to face her. Tea breathed slowly, steadying herself, and looked into his eyes.

"Hi, Yami."

Yami seemed to have to steady himself as well. "Hello, Tea." His eyes diverted from her, almost in nervousness.

"How are you?" Tea managed to ask, her voice catching a bit in her throat.

"I'm fine," Yami answered. But even she could tell it was partially a lie—his dark eyes seemed misted over with worry and…something else.

Tea giggled nervously, trying to fill the silence. "I…I hadn't seen you since the tournament ended," she said, smiling as broadly as she could muster. "I'm so proud of you, Yami. You did it—you saved the world." Unconsciously, she reached out and patted his shoulder, in a gesture of comfort.

Yami seemed unable to look her in the eye, but still spoke to her. "I…I thank you for that, Tea," he said. A knot of fear started to wind itself in Tea's stomach, but she fought it back as she struggled for a new conversation topic. As she shifted her stance nervously, her purse strap slid down off her shoulder, stopping at her elbow, and a Duel Monster card fluttered from the purse down to the pavement.

"You've…you've, uh, dropped something," Yami said quietly, and he stooped to pick it up. As he caught sight of the card's image, he smiled.

"Ah, the Dark Magician Girl."

Tea brightened. "Yeah, that's the card…that, um, Yugi gave me in my duel with Crump," she said softly, silently glad for something innocuous to talk about, though she wondered how the card had gotten there.

"Yes, I remember," Yami said, nodding and handing the card back to her. A little silence fell over them, and Tea searched her mind for something to talk about. Glancing down at the card in her hand, she looked at the Dark Magician Girl, still smiling in her painted pose, and remembered Mana, who seemed so sure that the pharaoh loved her. Was her dream right?

The card's image seemed to glitter brightly in the light of the rising moon, and a soft voice spoke, almost as if it were emanating from the card. "Tell the pharaoh now, Tea."

"Um…" Tea paused, then spoke. "Actually, I, uh…I had a very strange dream about the Dark Magician Girl this afternoon," she said quickly.

"Oh, really?" Yami looked interested. "Tell me about it, Tea."

"Well, she…she was dressed in clothes that looked like they were from a desert, and she called herself Mana. And…and she told me that, um…that you…" She fumbled for the words, stuttering briefly, then fell silent.

"Told you what?" Yami asked. Surprisingly, he looked up into her eyes, and from this, Tea found the strength to continue.

"She…told me that you loved me. …She showed me a scene where you and Yugi were talking, and you were realizing…that you loved me." Tea's words tumbled out of her, just as Yami's had in the scene from the dream.

Yami looked taken aback, and an excruciating silence draped its heavy fabric over them; Tea's heart almost stopped beating in the painful uncertainty following her admittance. Had she said too much? What if she had destroyed her last chance at…being happy? She worried and fretted silently, until she noticed that Yami's eyes were slowly filling with tears.

"Yami…what's wrong?" she asked plaintively, her voice beginning to choke up. Yami blinked back the tears, and cleared his throat before speaking.

"Last night…I had a dream of the Dark Magician," he said slowly. "But…but like your dream version of Dark Magician Girl, he was dressed in the garb of…a different country. And he called himself a different name…Mahaado, I believe."

"Wow," Tea said softly.

"He…he told me something very interesting," Yami continued, gaining back some of his characteristic strength in his voice. "He advised me that if I did not want to suffer like I have been, I should make a decision now. And he showed me a scene of…of you crying yourself to sleep…" He paused, and when he continued, his voice was merely a whisper. "And you were saying my name as you cried."

Tea's own eyes started to brim with tears; that was exactly what she had done the previous night before going to sleep. Incredulously, she looked down at Yami. "You dreamed that?" she asked, her own voice weakened by her emotion.

"Yes," Yami said, nodding. "And I realized then that I made a grave error." He breathed deeply once, and then spoke again. "I made a terrible mistake when I told you that I couldn't love you, Tea. I…I was only unsure. I was…afraid."

"Afraid of what?" Tea asked. "Why should Yami be afraid of anything?" she thought. "He's so strong…"

"I was…I was afraid to love," Yami said, his voice beginning to choke up. "I was afraid that…that my uncertainty of who I was…would never work." He paused. "And I honestly thought I didn't have feelings for you anymore. But…I was very wrong." He trailed off, and the unspoken, deeply-felt emotion in the pharaoh's heart seemed almost to infuse itself within Tea's. Her own heart began to feel as if it could fly at any moment.

Shakily, Yami continued. "Even through my triumphs, the knowledge that I had hurt you unnecessarily haunted me. I…I felt terrible inside. I was achieving so much for the world, and yet…I had betrayed the one person who had expressed such love and devotion to me." He cast his eyes down dejectedly. "Tea…I won't blame you if you are angry with me for being so uncertain of myself and my feelings."

Tea sniffled quietly, wiping away a tear. "Oh, Yami…" she said softly, shaking her head. "That never mattered." The deep pain in her heart evaporated, leaving behind a tender, soft feeling as she looked at her love. "I always knew who you were. You were—and are—a great man." Again, she looked directly into his eyes, and smiled gently. "I love you, Yami."

And this time, the answer was what she had only dreamed of before. Yami's arms wrapped around her middle gently, and he kept his eyes locked on hers.

"I love you, Tea."

Tears of joy spilled silently down Tea's face, sparkling in the moonlight. She leaned down as he stood on tiptoes, and their lips met gently. It didn't matter that she was taller than he was, and that the angle was a little strange…all that mattered was the love that radiated from them and was shared between them.

And standing slightly off to the side was Yugi, shimmering as he projected out of the Puzzle. "Well, finally," he said to himself, a big, genuine smile spreading across his face. The spirits of the Dark Magician and the Dark Magician Girl appeared quietly beside him, and he turned to them. "I couldn't have done it without you," he whispered.

Dark Magician Girl, also known as Mana, smiled kindly. "You and the pharaoh truly are one, Yugi. Your bravery and courage have shown it."

"And I was glad to help," Dark Magician (also known as Mahaado) said. "Anything for the happiness of my pharaoh."

"Now, go join that party before it's over," Dark Magician Girl kidded, nudging Yugi playfully. Yugi accordingly disappeared back into the puzzle, and the two magicians looked at each other and smiled, joining hands before they themselves glimmered out of existence, leaving Yami and Tea alone.

A few yards away, the doorbell clinked jubilantly as the side door to the shop was opened. Tristan looked on as Tea and Yami gently broke their kiss and looked at each other, arms wrapped around each other and silent sweet nothings whispered with their gazes. He smiled, and a little extra brightness crept into his own eyes. "I knew all along, Tea," he whispered quietly. He gently shut the door back, knowing that the struggle was over, and that the two people who loved each other so much were finally together…at last.

:The End:


	2. Last Night Poem

I feel that these lyrics go along perfectly with the plotline of "All Along." I hope you enjoy it. I ask you, however, not to take these lyrics and post them as your own, because you will be, in effect, stealing my brainchild. And I'm kind of maternal about my work. LOL! But anyway, in all seriousness, please enjoy, but do not plagiarize. Thanks!

Last Night, by CuriousLittleBird

last night I prayed and dreamed of you

while you were fast asleep

I watched the moon drift overhead

and wished that she'd protect you

I asked her to watch over you

asked her to wrap you in night

and before I turned over and went to sleep

I prayed for your return

last night I prayed and dreamed of you

and loved you from far away

in tears I asked the moon again

to bless your life as you blessed mine

I asked her to give you my love,

for her to make you remember

the love that you and I once shared

in the bliss of a distant home

last night I prayed and dreamed of you

and cried and worried, alone

I worried that you'd forgotten me

that I had vanished from your heart

and in the quiet dark an angel

of the gentle moon floated in,

and she listened as I spun again

the tale of our love and loss

last night I prayed and dreamed of you

and the moon's angel soothed me

she told me that I need not worry,

that you would be coming soon

and when I asked her how she knew,

she simply smiled and said:

"It wasn't me who ordained this match;

darling, it was you."

last night I prayed and dreamed of you

and finally found some peace

my heart was eased at last from pain

which had tormented it so long

I sleep and dream of days long past

and know that my future is the same

I now know you await me there

and my soul can finally rest.


End file.
